Spatial transcriptomics of human meibomian gland differentiation

Version 1

Meibomian glands (MGs), specialized sebaceous glands embedded in the eyelids, are an integral component of the ocular defense system, as their oily secretion product, meibum, is essential for protecting the eye surface. In spite of its importance for ocular health, the transcriptional changes that lead to meibum production by MG acinar cells (meibocytes) have not been characterized in a systematic way so far. By combining spatial transcriptomics (ST), pseudotime, and functional enrichment analysis, we resolved eighteen distinct regions of the eyelid, representing structures as the conjunctiva, sweat glands of Moll, hair-associated sebaceous glands, and MGs.